Sunday, May 25, 2014

Much to Auroras’ enjoyment and amazement, our campsite appears to be a virtual refuge for wildlife. Chipmunks, squirrels & mice were all frequently about as well as countless birds, including whiskey jacks, and even a hummingbird. But, without a doubt, the two bunny rabbits (that seemed tame, and must’ve had a burrow very nearby) stole the show and really tickled her fancy.

We were able to use up the last of our bacon without ill effects this morning. I realize that there is shelf stable bacon available at most grocery stores and, besides being far more convenient & light weight, it is actually quite good. But, in the spirit of Henry David Thoreau, I too go to the woods because I want to live deliberately. For me bringing fresh bacon is more than just having very tasty table fare. The whole process of cooking it excites the senses. (which are obviously heightened in a wilderness setting) With respects to wilderness camping - the sights, sounds and smells of sizzling pork are every bit, if not more, important to me than tasting it. So, while in one sense it may be perceived as unnecessary weight and inconvenience, I’m not quite ready to completely sacrifice the multi-faceted ethereal contentment real bacon provides.

Since we headed north yesterday, today we would travel south to the fire lakes. Before we headed out, Vickie had the foresight to put the hamburger in a nalgene to start the re-hydration process so it would be ready when we pulled over for lunch.

Aurora continued to impress. She tore off up the Burnt Lake portage before we could even get the canoe unloaded. Once we reined her in, and got her backpack on, she fell into line. The pattern we’d settled into was that I’d take the canoe & my paddle across then return to meet Vickie & Aurora wherever they were on the trail and give a hand if/where needed. Then we’d let Aurora lead the way and tell her to go find the canoe. This routine set the table for some of my most cherished memories of the trip. On those occasions, upon our reunion on the trail, seeing Aurora’s face absolutely light up as she exclaimed, “There’s Daddy!” was an unforgettable extra special treat.

Much of this trail was wet and had intermittent small little rivulets cascading down the various inclines. Still, I didn’t think any of the hills were on par with north/south orientated trails found in the Gunflint region. Don’t get me wrong, this is one of the tougher portages you’ll encounter in the BWCA, I just didn’t think it came close to deserving the 10 (most difficult) rating that the Pauley book gives it. Of course, it should be noted that we didn’t do this one fully loaded either.

After a short break, we pushed off. Burnt Lake had a distinctly different feel than the lakes along the Temperance River flowage. Much as South Temperance Lake was yesterday, it is also a larger body of water. But, more to the point, there was an added deciduous feel to the surrounding forest as the aspens atop the hills were just starting to fill in, creating an almost lime green backdrop. The islands and overall layout created an exceptional ambiance. And if that weren’t enough, Vickie noticed a bald eagle circling high above the lake gradually descending until it finally swooped down and scooped up a fish with its talons. What an amazing spectacle!

We paddled over to the vacant island campsite near the entrance to the southern bay. It had a very nice landing and was canopied by some large white pines. This was a very nice camp, but, in my opinion, there were a couple things that kept it from being a true 5 star. First off, even though it had an excellent view from the landing, the fire grate was facing directly into a small boggy area. And secondly, with the fire grate being that close to said boggy area it was all but a certainty that this site would be extremely buggy. And, to emphasize that point, we encountered our first mosquitos of the trip. Fortunately it was still early in the season & our permethrined clothing performed as advertised.

There were trails extending all over the island and, since the water was very high, there was a nice shallow section that was perfect for Aurora to play in. She found a few snails and watched & splashed the water bugs while lunch was being prepared.

While we enjoyed our lunch, we noted Burnt Lake was abuzz with several other parties out on the lake. Early this morning, our weather radio had also warned that the winds would pick up in the late afternoon. After some brief exploration of Burnt Lake, seeing this scenario beginning to play out before our eyes induced us to curtail our explorations of the fire lakes and start heading back to camp.

Aurora seemed to take pleasure in each aspect of canoe travel, once again impressing us with her stamina and eagerness. During a break near the Kelly Lake landing, Vickie came across an old pull tab Coke can back in the woods. It was by no means in pristine condition, but was still an interesting find.

The wind was causing some minor wave action out on the lake as we paddled back to camp. But, mainly it served to keep us cool from the heat of the midday sun.

Not wanting to dip water from these shallow lakes, our water bottles were near dry by the time we returned to camp. Upon returning, we discovered the water reserve in our Sawyer water filter system had been baking in the sun all day and was quite warm. Since the lake water was still only 8-10 days removed from ice out, we plopped our now refilled nalgenes into the frigid lake to cool while we unpacked.

As wet footers, naturally one of the first things we like to do upon returning to camp is to put on a dry pair of socks. Our little voyageur had spent most of her day in the water, so the prune like feet shouldn’t have come as such a surprise when we finally peeled her socks off.

Having melted into our chairs with that good kind of tired & sore feeling of a day well spent, while we were all enjoying a relaxing cup of hot cocoa before bedtime, Aurora absolutely floored both of us by using the most demanding/commanding tone of voice a nearly 3 year old girl could muster saying, “I DON’T WANT TO GO TO BED! I WANT TO GO EXPLORING!!!!” In our efforts to expose our child to the wonderment of wilderness, we may have inadvertently created an inexhaustible monster!

Once we thoroughly explained the situation, and informed her that tomorrow would be another day of new adventures, she calmed down. We listened intently to her version to the events of the day and how much fun she’d had. If there was any question to the acceptance of these as gospel truth, all you had to do was look at the smile lighting up her face to confirm any doubts.

Jack Lake, Kelly Lake, Burnt Lake